Fonality Blog | VoIP, Unified Communications, and Business Tips

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Teamwork produces more accurate results.

What part does teamwork play in the overall success of communications within a business? A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School illustrates the vital importance of teamwork at any level.

Better networks produce greater results

In the study, data was collected from over 250,000 aged Americans who had undergone heart bypass surgery, and mapped against the interactions of the nearly 500,000 medical staff who were in charge of their care.

Interestingly, the results showed that a patient's chances of survival were directly linked to the overall level of teamwork across the entire care process. This covered surgery preparation, operation, return to hospital and recovery. When we consider how this translates across any business, the importance of communication shouldn't be ignored.

70 per cent of customers desire faster and more intuitive online customer service.

Providing easier access to information

While your business may not be as hectic and unpredictable as a hospital, giving staff access to all appropriate information via a simple method of communicating can drastically reduce incident response time. Although your incidents may be more inline with customer complaints than a broken leg, you'll still benefit if your staff can relay information easily across the organisation.

In terms of customer relations, this can reduce the time needed to access the right individual information, respond to previous issues or communicate with other teams internally to address a concern. By reducing the amount of time spent searching for information, your staff can spend a greater portion of their time looking after customers and using their time efficiently.

From a employer perspective, this generates a happier and more productive workforce. You'll have no doubt heard the phrase that "we fear the unknown". But what if that 'unknown' was the necessary information needed to do your job correctly? Removing the potential stress that your staff may experience when trying to find the information they need can pay dividends towards their overall happiness and job satisfaction.

Digital communication is taking off. Digital communication is taking off.

How do we relay information?

There isn't just one way customers will communicate with your business, and chances are it won't be with just one area of your team, either. Research conducted by Verint Systems, with support from Opinium Research LLC and research and advisory firm IDC, shows almost 80 per cent of customers prefer human interaction when engaging with service providers.

The results were split surprisingly evenly, with 24 per cent using the phone to interact with a business, 23 per cent visiting a physical store, and 22 per cent wanting access to an online account. The last portion was communication via email (14 per cent) and mobile apps (9 per cent).

This shows that, while the world may be moving quite rapidly towards digitalisation, consumers still demand a variety of communication methods to feel truly engaged. So how can unified communications be the key to unlocking customer happiness?

Faster and more personalised services to customers

In the same study, almost 70 per cent of respondents desired faster and more intuitive online customer service, while over one-third state that following a positive customer service experience they are more likely to renew a service or product regardless of price.

A unified communications system that promotes rapid and reliable sharing of information within a business is crucial to addressing these concerns. Not only will staff have easier access to customer information, they'll be able to respond faster, feel more capable within their position, and receive more positive customer feedback.

Positive customer feedback should be the standard.Positive customer feedback should be the standard.

This, in turn, creates an employee environment that is rewarding and encouraging, with this directly translating from your staff to customers. After all, if your staff are happier, it makes sense that your customers will be as well.

To discover the power of Fonality's unified communications solution, including our all-in-one HUD display for easy multi-channel communication, get in touch with our team today.